Infinite Hunger
by Tiny Tangy Crunchy Candy
Summary: The Capitol decided to try a new game, an acting one, for adults only, they hasn't changed the name, though. The Capitol hadn't our blood in its hands anymore, the Capitol had our souls and bodies.
1. Prologue

It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, it doesn't matter if you live in the Town or in the Seam, life in District 12 is never easy. Many years ago the world was devastated and our country, Panem, rose from the aches. There were 13 districts ruled by the Capitol. However, not so many years ago, the districts started a rebellion against the Capitol. And now, there are 12 districts ruled by the Capitol, District 13 is gone forever and the Capitol has found other ways to keep us quiet and cooperative. It was like ancient Rome's _panem et circenses_, they give us a meal and a show. An annual show, the Hunger Games.

In its beginning the Games were a real slaughter, two children, a boy and a girl, from each district were collected at the Reaping and were sent to an arena where they should fight one another until there was only one survivor. Because of this violence, some families decided to no longer have children, after all, they don't deserved that kind of death, that kind of hopeless life. Bit by bit, our country began to fade away. So the Capitol decided to try a new game, an acting one, for adults only, they hasn't changed the name, though.

The Hunger Games were a new concept of entertaining, not so violent and bloody as the previous version, but still as aggressive and as shocking.

The Reaping, now, collects a woman and a man between 18 and 25 years old, married or not, from each district to participate in a different reality show. In this one, the tributes were confined and have to pretend that they were in love with the other tribute from their district. The most convincing couple would be allowed to return to its district, the losers would be sent to hi-tech laboratories where they would be treated like animals and be used as human lab rats for testing new medicines, new treatments, new surgeries, etc.

My name is Katniss Everdeen, I'm 18, I'm the daughter of a dead coal miner and a bipolar healer, I'm the big sister of one the world's sweetest child, I'm the girlfriend of the more handsome and more honest man of the Seam and I was chose to attend in this year's Hunger Games. I was chose to pretend that I love someone who wasn't my beloved one, I was chose to be obliged to show this love to the whole Panem in _all the ways_ one is supposed to show one's feeling towards somebody else. It isn't so bad as being killed after murdering 23 other kids, but if you had seen the Games last year. If you had seen that couples competing with actions more and more perverted, more and more animal like. The point of the show wasn't to make the audience believe you loved your pair, the point of the show was fill the audience with excitement while we would be caged, rated, raped and broken. That awful audience didn't see us as human beings, they see us as an infinite source of love lines and sex scenes. The more desperate and dirty scenes, the better.

The Capitol hadn't our blood in its hands anymore, the Capitol had our souls and bodies.

I was standing still in my place aside the Capitol's woman responsible for the Reaping, Effie Trinket, waiting for the announcement of my partner. She took the little piece of paper from the huge glass ball, unfolded it and read aloud:

"Peeta Mellark".

_Bloody. Hell._

Peeta Mellark was just too good to be in the Hunger Games. He was way better than I would ever be. He was much too naïve to be exposed to that hungry audience. And I was already hating myself because I would never be able to corrupt him. _Damn it._

_I am_ a survivor.

I've never needed to sell my body, but my will to live and my necessity of protecting my family, specially my sister, from the world's evilness were so big that if I have needed, I would have done it. But Peeta Mellark, he was a town boy, he was the baker son, he was a gentle guy and, above all, he was the boy with the bread. The greatest symbol of hope and kindness I've ever knew.

I would never be able to come back to the Seam, because I would never be able to corrupt Peeta Mellark.

* * *

My first story after a long time and my first Hunger Games story. I hope I hadn't commit many grammar and spelling mistakes, but I'm sorry for the ones I made and wasn't able to see. I'm not a native speaker, sorry.

However, I do hope somebody like it!


	2. Lucky Bastards

A crying, desperate and sad version of my little sister, Prim, my little duck, entered the room followed by my mother. They ran to hold me as fast as they could. Prim's little arms were even hurting me, but I didn't say nothing, I just hugged her with the same strength.

"Promise me you will come back" she said between hiccups when we were apart.

I looked at her face, so delicate, so beautiful, so young and now so red and wet. I couldn't lie to her, nonetheless I couldn't say the truth also. But I preferred gave her a little hope during the follow weeks, she would be able to dream with my return for a couple days. That was probably going to be the only thing she would have from me after this day.

"Of course I'll."

She gave me a little smile.

"But you have to promise something." I continued "And you too." I pointed to my mother.

"What?" they asked.

"You promise me you will never, never are you listening to me? You'll never ever watch that show. It doesn't matter what they say or how much they provoke you two. You'll never watch it."

I could go the Capitol and sell my body and soul live on the TV and I wouldn't care for how many people would point to me and say "whore", "twit", "skank" aside with other equally lovely words. But I couldn't stand the possibility of seeing my family thinking the same things about me.

"Please," I added "I wouldn't be able to deal with it if I returned."

"You _won't_ be able to deal with if _when_ you return and that's why we're promising this to you. I'll never watch and I'm not going to let Prim watch it too. You don't need to worry." my mother said.

"Are you sure? Because the last time someone left this family, you sort of died." I replied.

She looked down for a moment before answer while gazing directly into my eyes.

"I'm not going to leave you again." she vowed.

"I do hope you keep that promise for Prim." I threatened.

Some Peacekeeper knocked on the door and we knew our time was running out.

"Daughter, Katniss, I love you, I'll take care of Prim, I'll pray for you and we will be together again. Soon." she said with her eyes full of tears while she involved me with her arms. Many years had already passed without this kind of mother-and-daughter moment happened. I was so afraid of being wrong, of committing a mistake, but I felt I could trust her for the first time since my father passed away and that made the tears I was saving for a less exposed time roll.

"I love you two." I said while pulling Prim into the space between our hug.

"Katniss, please come back, I lov-" she started to saying, but then the Peacekeepers entered the room and pushed my mom and her away.

I tried to reach for them, but the Peacekeepers were just so…so Capitol material that they didn't even care.

"You aren't going to watch it, Prim! You aren't!" I yelled just before they shut the door.

Gale would probably be the next to come and say goodbye to me. I wanted to make him promise me that he wasn't going to watch the show too, but I knew he wouldn't agree. I passed my fingers through the end of my braid and took a deep breath. What was going to happen with my relationship with Gale? Would he be able to separate the reality's Katniss from the reality show's one? Would I? Damn it.

Losing the show and being turned into a lab rat was an terrible option. Nevertheless, coming back to this place after betraying my boyfriend, after making a pact with the devil, after corrupting Mellark and after been watched for so many eyes seemed almost worst. Fuck. I was now realizing that I hadn't stop crying yet. How am I going to survive this?

The door was suddenly opened and for my complete surprise the baker entered the room. We stood silent for a moment and then he said in a very low voice.

"Please, Katniss Everdeen, bring my boy back to me. I know you think he is weak and naïve, but you two can win this. I know you can. Please, please, I bag you. Bring him home." he turned to go out without even receiving an answer. Not because he was rude, I knew, but because he needed to crumble down. However, he looked at me once more before leaving and said "I'm not going to let them starve."

And that meant the world to me.

After a minute or two Gale _finally_ entered, I was already wondering why he was taking so long.

Without saying a thing, he grabbed me by my waist and pulled me into a kiss. A deep, breathtaking, dangerous kiss that had no sign of tenderness or endearment. It was urgent, it was necessary and it was wild, filled with a growing anger, a swelling rage, a destructive feeling toward the Capitol. He was pressing me more and more against his body and I felt that I couldn't live, actually survive without him. We split a little and gazed into each other's eyes.

"I need you." I said in a little voice that made me feel weaker and more fragile that I've felt in a long time.

He kissed me again, now with a sweet gentle intention instead of that passion wrath. I wasn't used to neither of those kisses, but they filled my interior with such an infatuation that I've never felt. I loved Gale, I was close to him since my dad died, but sometimes I doubted if that love was equal to his. Now, for the first time, I was sure it wasn't, but it was getting closer and closer to be. If only there weren't these bloody bastard fucking Games, I would finally be able to give him all that he deserves and not only the fraction I've been offering.

Another knock on the door.

"Katniss, I love you."

"Gale," I started to say because I knew that it wouldn't be a lie if I said it now, but he nodded negatively.

"Catnip, don't, please. I'm breaking up with you."

"You what?" I said unexpectedly loud. "I was going to say that…that…for the first time, you bastard!"

"I know," he was caressing my face "but we ran out of time. You need to survive and for that you can't have me in your mind. When you come back, I'll be here."

"Good thing I didn't say it then. You'll have to wait for it." I tried to provoke him.

"I will." he ignored my provocation, what made feel safe.

The door was opened.

"Gale," they were already pushing him outside "don't let them starve."

"I won't. Go there and seduce the Capitol the same way you seduced me, Catnip."

They shut the door for a while and then opened it again. I saw Madge Undersee, the mayor's daughter, who used to have lunch with me during high school, entering.

"Katniss," she seemed uncomfortably and I didn't know exactly why. We used to talk from time to time after we graduated, so she was being strangely odd "I don't know how to explain you that, but you and Peeta have something that none of the other competitors have. Please, use that in your favor and you two will be able to come home."

"What are you talking about, Madge?" I was confused.

"I can't tell you, it is not up to me. But you can build a strategy after it, please do that. You don't need to be a complete whore to win that show. You two can make the audience remember what they have forgotten."

Madge seemed really worried and really true, so I decided to remember her words and use them. _Somehow, sometime._

"Okay." I said.

"I have to go, Katniss." she hugged me quickly, the two of us a little shy with the not usual physical contact "Be strong, be you." and then she left.

But the Peacekeepers entered the room just to pull me out.

* * *

Things passed in a blur and when I realized it I was already in the train to the Capitol. Effie Trinket was talking and talking at my side me while she showed me the compartments of our wagon. I had a room to myself and it was prettier than anything of the Seam, maybe of the whole District 12. She took me to a large chamber that had a big dining table on one side and two sofas on the other. Peeta was already there, sitting on one of them.

"I'll be back in a minute, you two can get to know each other while I'm gone." said Effie and then she left by the door opposite to where I was standing.

Get to know each other, what a joke.

I sat on the couch in front of him.

"Hi" he said.

"Hi" I replied.

We sit there sometime without saying nothing. _Great._ Okay, I know I'm not the chattiest person in the world, but if I couldn't even talk to him alone, how would I perform the hottest romance of the show in front of hundreds of cameras? I didn't want to become a lab rat, but I didn't want to face the consequences of wining also. However, the only thing I was able to do by this moment was trying to make it. I've made a promise, after all.

"Well, Katniss," he began to say and I lifted my eyes to meet his "I know you aren't that fond of chatting, but we do need to start something here." and then he blushed and completed "I mean, I don't want to be a Capitol's prisoner, you know?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, I do."

"Ok…this isn't quite the beginning I was thinking about, but I'll have to deal with it" he smiled hopelessly.

"Yes, we'll have to deal with _that_. In fact, there are several issues we'll have to deal with. But for now I'm really glad to see that you two will be a hot couple. The audience _always _loves beautiful things_."_ affirmed a middle aged man - carrying a bottle of, well, I'd no idea of what, but, man, that was definitely alcohol - who I supposed to be Haymitch, our mentor. And by mentor what I really mean is: the guy who was going to write our passionate love story and made the world love it enough for we be able to walk home again. Frankly, I haven't that much hopes about his job, since he was the only winner of District 12. And I thought that that might be because he was the winner of the old Hunger Games, not the new. Maybe he knew everything about slaughtering, but not so much about romance.

"Things" Peeta repeated in a very low upset voice.

"Yes, they're very beautiful and their beauties complement each other very well, so this is going to be marvelous!" said Effie Trinket in her most excited irritating voice.

She walked until the spot behind me and picked my braid in her hands starting to undo it.

"Do you see this shining black hair? Formidable! It will be the perfect contrast with those blond curls." I really wasn't comfortable with a stranger messing my hair, but I didn't know if I really could help it "Oh, I'm so excited!" she added like if somebody didn't know it already. From the corner of my eyes I saw Haymitch rolling his eyes.

He pulled her away from my hair and told her to go check the dinner.

"So, my puppies, or should I say _puppets_, do any of you have an idea?" he said.

The room was full of silence and Peeta looked kind of sore.

"Any idea?" he asked again.

I couldn't think of nothing and Peeta was equally silent.

"So, I'm going to drink more. Maybe this will enlighten me. You two should try to get friends or laid or drunk or something." he said while leaving the room by same door he entered.

_You two should get friends or laid or drunk. _That was the best advice he could give us. _Perfect. Awesome._ I could already see myself coming home.

"Aren't we pretty lucky? We have the best mentor ever and the most irritating…I don't even know what the hell she is." said Peeta suddenly with an ironic smile.

"Yes, we're two lucky bastards. The odds were completely in our favor." I grinned back.

"Perhaps we should really drink." he said clearly making a joke, but I didn't answer immediately so he added "I'm just kidding."

"I know," I started slowly, remembering myself that we should at least be friends if we must live a torrid love "I was just thinking that perhaps we should get laid." I finished.

He widened his eyes and I remembered that he was Peeta Mellark, the boy with the bread. I was just joking, I thought.

"I was just joking" I thought louder.

And then he laughed out loud.

"I was kind of joking too. You know, I was just fooling you." he smirked.

"Oh, really?" I was very surprised, but then something occurred me "Or had you just lied so you wouldn't be so embarrassed?" I provoked.

"Well, Katniss, you'll never know." he hold the smirk.

"Come on, man. You can admit it."

"Right, I didn't lie."

"I said: you can admit it."

"Katniss, is it really so hard for you to think that I might not be so naïve as I seem? You know, it isn't because I have blond curls and blue eyes that I'm an angel." he responded seriously.

Now I was the one embarrassed and, just to make it worse, wordless.

"You don't have to say you're sorry, Katniss. That is a common mistake and I'm really surprised that you were able to keep a conversation for so much time." he said and then he left the compartment.

So, maybe Peeta Mellark was a normal guy very different from my crystallized 11 years old version of him. Maybe he was more than just kind. But still, would I be capable of doing everything that I have to do to win with him as my partner? I really wasn't sure.

* * *

"Ok, my adorable tributes, dinner is finished!" Effie announced "Tomorrow we will arrive at the Capitol by the end of the day, so before that we'll start to write our plot, metaphorically speaking, obviously." Metaphorically, _yeah_, I thought. "You two should get some sleep, and you" she pointed a finger adorned with a very long colorful nail to Haymitch's nose "should get some coffee and stop drinking." and then she left for her beauty sleep or something like it.

"Don't listen to her," Haymitch started "you two should lock yourselves in the same room and tried to develop some feelings, _any kind of feelings._ Because what I saw during this dinner is that you, lady, have a lot of work to do. You're a fucking ice cube." and then he left.

"Wow, _I'm a fucking ice cube_. I loved that guy!" I said in the same excitement tone of Effie. Well, not exactly the same since she wasn't being ironic when she used it.

"No, you're not. But we really must have more conversations like that one we had this afternoon." he offered me a gentle smile.

"Mmh" I grumbled. "However, now the only thing I want is to sleep."

"Ok, you can go first, I'll brush my teeth and be there in a minute."

"What?" I choked.

"I'm just kidding, Katniss." he laughed "Sometimes you are so funny, but sometimes you just have no sense of humor at all." he said in a tone that I couldn't identify.

"Well, Peeta Mellark, I'm so sorry if I'm not good enough for your standards, but this is all I can do." I sounded more offended than I really was, damn, he would think that I really had no sense of humor.

He approached me quickly and pushed me closer to him.

"You are more than enough for me, Katniss Everdeen." he sounded husky in my ear.

A chill went down my spine as he pressed a fast kiss at the side of my neck just before leaving the compartment.

_What the hell?_

Maybe Peeta Mellark was the true menace to someone's naivety.

* * *

I haven't slept so well as I wanted because of my nightmares, but since I didn't need to work, I could sleep until a couple of hours later than usual and that made me feel relaxed. I got up from my comfy warm bed and took a bath in the cabin's bathroom. After that I put on a simple pair of jeans and a blue sloppy T-shirt and went to the main room.

Everybody was already there eating breakfast or maybe brunch, I didn't know because as I was noticing, Capitol's meals have way more variety than I've ever imagined. I sat on the only empty chair and picked a croissant stuffed with something certainly delicious and a cup of steamy hot chocolate. I've never eaten a croissant or drunk hot chocolate before, indeed, the last time I ate chocolate was last year when Gale finally convinced me to date him and before that, well, let's just say my father was still alive. However, my story with Gale was sort of a mess, my father's death was a never healed wound and I really couldn't deal with those thing while there was so much going on. Actually, there was so much going to go on.

"Since you're so well educated that you haven't even wished us a good morning, I'm going to start your first interview, because I've no idea of who you are or who you're going to be. Yet." said Haymitch in a very pleasant way.

"Good morning" I said turned directly in Haymitch's direction, some crops from the piece of croissant that was still in mouth flied towards Haymitch's face.

He passed a hand over his face cleaning himself and began to ask us an infinite number of questions. I was answering without paying much attention to my or Peeta's answers until Haymitch made a somewhat disturbing question.

"Did you guys leave a girlfriend or boyfriend behind?"

"Yes, but he broke up with me right after the Reaping." I replied.

"No."

"Oh, really?" I saw myself asking without giving permission to myself. _Stupid me._

"Yes, Katniss. Is that so shameful?"

"No, not at all. It's just that you're, you know, attractive and friendly, it's just kind of hard to believe." I tried to make things better.

"Mmh…I guess I was simply waiting for the right girl."

"_The right girl?_" repeated Haymitch so skeptical that he looked almost disgusted.

"Yes."

"Oh,_ please_, don't tell me you two are virgins."

"I am." said Peeta.

"I'm not." I wasn't used to feel ashamed of this fact, but after Peeta's statement, I felt really bad. I never gave this sort of thing much thought, but as I said before, things between me and Gale were just unusual.

"Thanks God, maybe you'll save us despite having no charism." Haymitch sighed "And well, are you two ready to do whatever it takes to win that shit?"

"I am." I said.

"I'm not." echoed Peeta's small voice.

So it seemed that Peeta Mellark was no menace to someone's naivety and that I was probably totally screwed.

* * *

Thank you for the reviews, the subscriptions, and the favorite 3

I'll try to update as soon as possible, possibly weekly. Today was a very free day, but unfortunately I can't keep this rhythm.

Specially for my guests that I can't reply:

Guest #1 Thank you for correcting me! I would edit the chapter here in the site if I knew how to do it. However, I passed a long time away from this and now I don't know how to deal with it anymore hahaha But thank you!

Guest #2 I really hope that the path that the story is taking will be good enough for satisfying you! Thanks for reading until here, though.


	3. Moody Girl

The last hours were completely awful. I got my eyebrow, my legs, my armpits and many other parts of body waxed. I stood embarrassed and naked (and there was a direct link between these) in front of those 3 people somewhat crazy and definitely strange for hours. They made me a makeup and rearranged my hair before letting me meet my personal stylist, a guy named Cinna that would probably be equally disturbed and equally fond of seeing me naked, so I took a deep breath and continued naked.

It turned out that Cinna was a guy way normal than the preparation team. He was wearing black simple clothes, had no fake nails, no absurd surgery and he was wearing only a thin line of metallic gold eyeliner that made him look weirdly attractive.

"Hello, Katniss, I'm Cinna, your stylist." his voice wasn't so affected by the Capitol's peculiar intonation.

"Hello."

"Well, this is my first year in the Hunger Games."

"That's why they gave you District 12." I wasn't asking.

"No, I asked for District 12." he smiled.

Why would somebody sane ask for my district?

"Why don't you just put your robe and then we can talk for a while to start knowing each other?" he suggested nicely.

I covered myself with the silk robe and followed him to a sitting room inside the Remake Center that seemed almost cozy. There were two red couches, three white walls and a glass one providing the most exquisite view of the city. If only I liked the Capitol better, I would be thrilled by that vision. He sat on one of the couches and I took my place on the opposite one, so I could face him.

"We must seem very despicable to you." he commented and I didn't feel the need of answering him, it looked like he could already read what was in my mind. "Never mind. My partner Portia will be charged of designing Peeta's outfits, but we are thinking of dress you two in complementary costumes. We believe it would provide you with a touch of harmony that would be incredible useful."

"Ok, are you two starting this twin clothes thing at the opening ceremony?"

"Yes and as you know, or should know at least, it's customary to the opening ceremony costume reflects the best of the district." and by the best he meant only the district's most known feature.

"Hum…Will I be dressed as a coal miner?" as long as I didn't need to get naked so soon I would accept anything.

"Well, no. Portia and I are already tired of this coal miner fashion and we do want to make this year's tributes of District 12 remarkable." that seemed dangerous, like getting-naked-dangerous.

"We're decided to focus on the coal instead of the coal miner." he continued as I pictured myself and Peeta naked with only coal powder over our bodies. "We use to burn coal, Katniss, and this is what we want to use here, the fire." now I added a wheel of fire to my previous vision. "Are you afraid of fire, Katniss?" he grinned.

* * *

By the time of the opening ceremony, I was dressed in what would be the most splendid or catastrophic garment that had ever appeared on the television. It was a simple black unitard that covered all my body, but it was adorned with a fluttering cape colored to look like a flame. And Cinna was going to put actual flames in it. Ok, not actual, he called it a synthetic fire, but I was full of doubts and Peeta was too, if I was reading his expression rightly. My hair was braided down my back in its usual style and I was pretty sure that when the dubious synthetic fire started to barbecue me, my braid would be the first to burn. Maybe that would give time to cut my hair and escape unburned, except for the fact that I had no knife hided in my shoes, so I wouldn't be able to cut my braid off. I was definitely going to burn.

"The audience will recognize you as Katniss," Cinna stated "the girl on fire."

The girl killed by the fire, I corrected him in my mind.

Peeta apperead using a costume equal to mine and that made me feel a little more comfortable. We positioned ourselves into the chariot.

"What are you thinking about this fire?" I whispered to him, initializing the conversation for the first time.

"Well, if you rip off my cape, I'll rip off yours." he spoke through clenched teeth.

"Ok, that will probably avoid the worst burns. I know that Haymitch made us promise that we would follow each order the stylists gave us, but I didn't think that he considered this kind of danger."

"Yeah…where is Haymitch by the way? Wasn't he supposed to be here defending us against this kind of evil?"

"I think he has too much alcohol running through his veins to be around here with all that fire. It isn't advisable, you know?"

He started laughing and I followed him in a more reserved way.

* * *

It was a blast.

And we don't get burned.

The audience chorused our names while we smiled and held each other's hand high so everybody could see it. They literally threw roses at our feet. I knew it was just some kind of adrenaline running inside me, but I was excited for the first time in a very long time and definitely for the first time after the Reaping. Peeta was exhilarated and dazzling. The flames around him making an awesome contrast with his deep blue eyes. If I were a normal girl, I would totally be falling head over heels for him.

* * *

Late that night we had a delicious dinner at the Training Center, Portia and Cinna added to our regular number. There was some easy talk, nothing really important. Peeta and I were informed that next day we'd have training sections for our interviews tomorrow night. Oh, I just couldn't wait for it!

The Training Center had an entire floor reserved to each district which would be our home until the actual Games' beginning. Since our district was 12 we got also the roof. After the Games were changed, there was no more actual training, however the building name remained the same. I was starting to think that the Capitol wasn't as creative in inventing new names as they were to invent new ways of turning our lives in a living hell.

However, the ambience was very agreeable and the facilities offered by the Capitol were awfully easy to get used to. But, I preferred the hard life in 12 rather than the hollow yet comfortable existence right here. For the first time in years if not ever, I didn't need to take care of nobody, I didn't need to hunt, I didn't need to work, I didn't need to feel hungry. Still, I couldn't help but feel trapped. I wanted more than anything that someone arrived suddenly and told me that there is indeed a life without so many boundaries. That wasn't going to happen, though.

I tried hard to sleep, but I wasn't able to do it, so I got up the bed and decided to take a walk on the roof. Maybe some exercise would help getting my mind released from all that insistent thoughts. I made my way to the roof and it caught me by surprise the fact that Peeta was there too. I stood still for a minute trying to decide if his presence would bored me enough till I preferred going back to my room or if it was tolerable, but he saw me before I've decided.

"Katniss, the girl on fire, aren't you afraid that the night winds will extinguish your flames?" he asked in disturbing gallant way.

"Oh, if the night winds aren't extinguishing your fire, they won't put out mine." I observed while approaching his spot and sitting near him.

"The flames suit you well, Katniss. You should wear them more often." he smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Great."

Although I wasn't fond of the Capitol, the view up there was undoubtedly astonishing.

"Trouble sleeping?" he asked after a while.

I nodded.

"I couldn't stop thinking of my family. Of the bakery. That kind of stuff." he confessed.

"I understand."

"In the beginning, I was just helping my father and trying to avoid my mother's wrath, but then, at some point that I really can't correctly identify, I started to liking it. Almost like a therapy."

"Mmh" I sounded just to show him I was listening.

"Every time they asked me to decorate a cake, I imagine myself painting a beautiful landscape or portraying the beautiful shades of grey from a particular pair of eyes. I think, I think that if we managed to win this thing, I'll start painting real frames."

"Well, if you are the one who is frosting those cakes you should totally begin painting." I said remembering how much my little duck loved those cakes.

"Have you ever tasted one of them?" he asked shyly.

"Of course not." I answered frankly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"Nothing. I didn't mean to seem so rude." I said. "It's just that it isn't in every house that one can have wedding cakes and hot chocolate for breakfast and brownies and cookies for lunch."

"That seems quite a life."

What did he mean with that? Didn't he notice that I was speaking of his life?

"We can't eat our product, Katniss. What would we sell if we ate it?" he explained when he saw my expression. "We only eat what isn't sold. What is almost spoiled."

"I would have never imagined it." that was the only thing I could speak.

"Life in town is easier, but life in District 12 will never be perfect. That's why I hate this place." he spoke the last sentence in less than a whisper.

We stood there immersed in an awkward silence for minutes, before I said, just to break the barrier of discomfort.

"So, you had no girlfriend, you are...you are…pure, and you aren't prepared to do whatever it takes, hum?" we haven't talked about that yet. Actually, his answers to Haymitch's questions made Haymitch so upset that he spent the rest of the day drinking. He would probably do the same if he wasn't upset, but he used that as an excuse.

"Yes, I know it's awkward and uncommon, but it just kind of happened. I tried to date some girls, but none of them were comparable to what I'm seeking." he doesn't looked upset. I would never answer a question so personal knowing him after so little time, but at least his openness could give a pastime.

"Is this girl you are waiting for so gorgeous that she worth all that? How is she?"

"Well, she is" he was gazing me while he spoke, but not in a creepy stalker way "very imperfect, somewhat moody, irritatingly closed, she treats almost everyone with indifference or coolness. She gets easily offended and she's a little revengeful when that happens. And is very difficult to her to say 'I'm sorry' or even 'Thank you', I don't know why."

"Wow! She sounds terrific." I commented making him laugh.

"There's more about her, relax."

"Oh, tell please, I'm just waiting for you to say she also psychotic."

What was that kind of love that made you wait and put on hold so much? How would it be like to feel it? I knew that that wasn't the kind of relation that linked me and Gale. Although I wasn't that sure that Gale would agree with me in that matter.

"When she sings, even the birds stop to listen." he said looking terribly fool, like fooled by love.

"That's nice. The birds used to do the same thing when" oh…that triggered some painful memories "my father sang." I finished and then I stood.

He stood too and put a hand carefully on my shoulder.

"Are you ok, Katniss? I can hear if you need to talk." how could he be so friendly all the time?

"Yeah. I have to go, good night." I said before leaving quickly.

That night I had lots of exploding dreams. Literally speaking.

* * *

I woke up so late that they were starting to serve the lunch. I shared the meal with Peeta, Haymitch and Effie who left as soon as the lunch was over. Haymitch said he was going to start our preparation for the interview. We all sat on the couches disposed in a U shape on the living room and Haymitch started his procedures.

"First, the public wants to meet you. They want know each and every detail of your lives and if you can't accept that, we'll only have two options: lose the Games or forge those details." he stated. "However, before the audience get to know you and before we finish our plan, _I_ need to get to know you _better_, like if I have known you two since ever."

"Haven't you already made enough questions?" I inquired really impatient, I hated talking about myself or my life or my feelings. I almost hated talking at all.

"No. Not enough." he took a sip from his cup of something and continued talking "Hum… how much used to the Hunger Games are you?"

"Well, my family watched all of them, what made me sick, but mom made us watch it with her, so I couldn't avoid it." answered Peeta.

That was kind of sad, I thought, but that was my turn to speak.

"I saw the Games for the first time when I was 11, because I wanted to be prepared in case I was reaped next year. But then, when I was 14 they changed the show and my mother, in one access of sanity, forbade Prim and me to watch it. However, I started to watch the 3 hours video with the best scenes when I turned 16 because I was afraid of being reaped and knowing nothing."

"Wow, that's the longest sentence you've ever spoken in front of me." mocked Haymitch.

I looked irritated at him.

"It would be better if you've watched the whole show like Peeta, but we'll make the best out of here, because you two are the lucky bastards from 12 that have the first real chance of winning this shit."

I didn't know if I should feel honored because he believed in us, or if I should get mad 'cause he had never really helped anyone before us just because he didn't feel like it. I didn't know the previous contenders, but I knew that somewhere in 12 there was a family that would mourn them forever. Or maybe not, 'cause we acted more and more like animals.

"That's the deal: the Capitol will put you and the other 22 in somewhere in the middle of nowhere surrounded by an invisible field that will keep you from running away. Nobody knows how this year's arena is going to be. It might be a very comfortable mansion, a haunted castle, a paradisiacal beach house or a shed in the middle of the woods. They might provide you food, they might not. Are you following?"

Peeta nodded and I added "Sounds great."

"You'll have a week to conquer the audience. The eliminations begin by the end of the second week. Four couples will be out that week and three more on the next one. Three again on the fourth week and only the two last couples will attend the fifth week. Did you understand?"

"Yes" we said in unison, but I was actually confused because I couldn't remember of any edition that have lasted so much.

"Good. Now, listen to me, this is important." he began "The plan is that, but the Capitol enjoys putting your lives in danger. They edit the show, so many of us don't notice it, but the new version of the Games is almost as bloody as the first one. You don't only must convince the audience, but you must manage to keep yourselves alive." his tone was grave.

"Is that why the Games had never actually lasted 5 weeks?" I asked, but I was already sure of the answer.

"Yes." Haymitch replied. "Now, tell me, what can you do to keep yourselves alive?"

"Nothing." said Peeta "Just bake."

"Don't underestimate yourself so much, Peeta. They'll give you some source of food and this source can be _bakeable_. What about you, Katniss?"

"I can hunt, I mean, I'm able to use a bow and arrow. And I know some plants and fruits of the forest that can be useful, but I'm not that good at this."

"I don't even to know how you've learned inside the limits of the fence. Anyway, it's interesting, how good are you using a bow?"

"She's excellent" Peeta said before I've rated myself. "My father is always talking about how she's able to hit the squirrels right in the eyes, so the meat doesn't get damaged. She isn't as useless as I'm." he finished, but surprisingly, there wasn't a sad note in his voice.

"What? If you are going to rate me so high you can't underrate yourself. I've seen you lifting hundred-pound bags of flour in the market!" I said a bit hysterically. I couldn't deal well with compliments.

"This is not as useful as using a weapon." he was getting kind of upset now.

"But he can wrestle pretty well too. I remembered the high school's competitions." I returned with a little anger.

"Guys, come on. We aren't talking about the old Games. All these abilities are useful, baking included, we just don't know yet which of them you'll really have to use. But I'm already happy in see you have some kind of talent." Haymitch said trying to calm us down. "Plus, the romance is still your best weapon and armor." He drank another sip of his alcohol beverage.

"Let's change the subject." Peeta suggested running his hand nervously through his hair.

"Well, in the romance field, we have some odds in our favor, because you're not a typical pair, yet you two look good together."

"Why aren't we a typical pair?" Peeta inquired.

"Because she's cold, rude and moody. I'm very surprised she isn't frigid too, but she _had_ a boyfriend, unlike you." Peeta got surprised with Haymitch's answer that made me remind of some answer a little alike that, but I couldn't correctly recall it and I got annoyed with the way he made the verb 'had' sound. "But you, you are sweet, friendly, nice, sympathetic, and naïve! They'll love you and they'll cheer for you while you'll be wooing her desperately."

"And what I'll be doing while he woos me?"

"You'll look beautiful and try to convince him that he doesn't need to win your heart, just get your legs open." that was way too offensive, but I was shocked, so I said nothing.

"This plan sucks. She's not going to act like a total whore." Peeta defended me.

"If you can think of a better plan, I'll listen to it. Right now this is all we got and, Effie supports me."

"What about Cinna and Portia? Portia can't have agreed with that!" now he wasn't just a little upset, he was really angry like if it was his honor been threatened.

"They don't know about it yet, but they'll soon."

Fuck. I wasn't the only one thinking that I would have to corrupt Peeta Mellark, but I was probably the only one who cared about the situation, let alone himself. I merely looked at him in disbelief.

"Ok, that's enough. I'm tired of you two already. We'll see each other after the interview tonight." said Haymitch "Remember, say the truth and be nice. This isn't so late that we can't change the plan, but you must make them love you." he made his way to his bedroom door, but stopped and looked at me "You, Katniss, you can't forget to smile, you damned moody girl."

I needed to smile a lot, I needed to be as adorable as Peeta, I needed to hit my head against a wall, because I was undoubtedly screwed. And now I knew that my life was also in danger, along with my reputation. Bloody hell.

* * *

_Hi!_

_I'm so happy because of the new subscriptions and I hope you like this chapter, the next one might be posted sooner, but I'm not sure. _

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_See you soon!_


	4. Don't you dare invade my dreams

I could no longer control my breath, there were sweat drops rolling down my spine and there were chills making its way from the wet spot, which connected me the most intimately with Gale, to my whole body while he kept thrusting into me. I knew that nobody should hear what we were doing, but I couldn't hold my moans anymore. I was feeling so hot, so turned that I wanted to shout his name for the whole world. He was performing even more amazingly than he normally did.

"You, you are so fucking, so fucking…" he started to gently caress one of my nipples with his tongue and I couldn't even complete my sentence because of all the sensations he was making me feel.

"Shh…You don't to say anything, because" he made while he abandoned my breast, I wanted to look at him and see if he was having as much pleasure as I was "_you are more than enough for me, Katniss Everdeen._" he sounded husky and I knew that something was wrong, I opened my eyes to face him and I wake up.

Fuck fuck fuck! The hot lover of my ridiculous wet dream was Peeta Mellark.

Peeta.

Mellark.

Not Gale Hawthorne.

That was so messed up. I wasn't quite sure if that meant that the growing proximity of the Games' start was driving me crazy or if the boy with the bread was. But I didn't like it and I felt violated and resentful. How dared he to invade my dreams?

I took a glance at the beautiful watch hanged on the wall and realized that I was almost late. So the disturbing Peeta from my dream became a bit less guilty since he had actually woken me up before it was too late. But he still plenty guilty. I managed to get out of my bed although I felt a little lightheaded after sleeping that much _or maybe of the dream_.

I laid down just twenty minutes after Haymitch gave up the task of getting to know us; I wished only to take a nap and three hours had already passed. I was supposed to be at the Remake Center in 5 minutes, so I hurried up to brush my teeth, they would probably prepare a ridiculously elaborated bath for me, so I still got 2 minutes to get there.

Oh my, I would totally be lectured about it. I went out running, maybe I could do it in time. _Yeah, keep lying to yourself. Like you did when you pretend that you didn't like to find out that Peeta was the guy in your drea…_Shhhh! I must be fast.

* * *

Caesar Flickerman was the man who did the interviews; in fact, he was something like the Capitol's voice. When the new version of the Hunger Games started, he realized that now it was much more important to the audience to feel close to the contenders than it had ever been. Therefore instead of having a 3 minutes interview for each one during the same day, he would dedicate 4 shows for the tribute's presentation. 3 pairs of tributes per show, 10 minutes per tribute and thousands of watchers. There was no rule to the presentation's order, actually it would be raffled; and Peeta and I would luckily be settled to the last day. But, anyone could see at this point, the odds were never in my favor, in our favor; we were going to be the first interviewed couple.

The only consolation I had was that my dress, which Cinna designed, was indeed beautiful. Like drop-dead gorgeous. Its colors were so vivid that at the slightest move, it seemed to be catching fire; the effect was dazzling and Caesar noticed it when I step into the stage. He asked me to twirl for him so he could see it better and I did as I was told. And that, sir, was completely fucking awesome; it seemed that the fire had started in the hem of my dress and was climbing hungrily to engulf me. I could hear the amusement of the crowd, but after a few spins I was beginning to feel dizzy, so I stopped and went to sit down on my place.

"So, miss Katniss Everdeen directly from District 12 came here and showed us that she is indeed the girl on fire!" he announced proudly "Now, let's chat a little, everybody wants to meet you."

He stood in silence for some seconds, terribly long seconds, in which I didn't know what I was supposed to say, so I just smiled the best I could until he noticed that I wasn't going to say a thing by myself and started to talk to me again.

"Well, the Capitol must look very different from your district, right? What have impressed you the most?"

I thought for a moment and said the only thing that I was sure that could be said on television.

"The lamb stew, the one with dried plums."

"Oh! I eat it by the bucketful!" he laughed enthusiastically and so did a part the crowd. "But, now, Katniss, tell me what did you think about your costume the other night? Because when you came out in the opening ceremony, my heart stopped. It really stopped."

I looked vaguely to the audience before answering and saw Cinna there. Okay, be honest _and nice_.

"Do you mean after I got over my fear of being burned live?" I asked.

The whole crowd laughed that time. Big.

"Yes, start there." he encouraged me with a smile, and I really felt encouraged. What was a little strange since I've always thought about Caesar Flickerman as a very peculiar figure who dyes his hair in the weirdest colors which he matches with his lipstick. Like if a man using lipstick wasn't awkward enough.

"I thought Cinna was brilliant, actually, I think Cinna is brilliant. The two costumes he made me were just the most wonderful outfits I've ever used or seen. I almost couldn't believe what I was wearing."

"And what have you thought about the other tribute from your district wearing that fiery unitard?" he asked smirking.

I pictured Peeta surrounded by those flames once again and I couldn't avoid remembering the recent dream. Fuck. I felt my cheeks warming up and I was sure that I was blushing. What were they going to think about that? Was it going to help us or not?

"Ooo, someone is taking a little long time to respond." Caesar mocked me in a very loud whisper.

"I'm, I'm sorry." I said "What can I say? He was dazzling." I had hoped that that comment would be sufficiently satisfying, but it wasn't.

"You took so long to answer, Katniss, you must have thought about more. You don't need to hide it, we want to know everything." Crap.

Do you really want to know that I dreamed that Peeta Mellark was fucking me hard? And that it was pretty shockingly good? I really don't think so. Then, I remembered what the point of the show was and what I would probably have to do in front of the cameras. But I didn't exactly want that _that moment _arrived so soon.

"You know," I began "there was a contrast between his deep blue eyes and the hot red and yellow orange flames that made him look…how can I say? hum… good-like." my face was burning by the time I stopped talking.

The audience made a huge "oooh" and Caesar Flickerman looked very excited.

"So, you two already knew each other? Because I already can tell that there's a frisson going on!"

"We studied at the same school, but we've never talked until the Reaping."

"Oh, really? And what about now? Do you regret haven't met him before?"

Do I? I wasn't sure. He was nice, friendly and even kind of fun. I could talk to him and he wasn't so annoying when he talked to me. But wish I have met him before? Wish I have spent some time with him on purpose and not by obligation? I think so, but I wasn't sure. However, Peeta was a nice guy and I shouldn't humiliate him nationally.

"Yes. There's only a few days since we started talking, but he's a great guy." I said honestly. Well, almost honestly.

"Come on; let's go back to your district. What did you use to do there?"

"Well, I mostly worked."

"Tell us more, please."

"My father" I started, but I couldn't really told them that much, it didn't matter how much Haymitch and Cinna had instructed me in telling the truth. That was a part of my life that was only my and the Capitol couldn't take it from me. "My mother, actually, has a very fragile health, so I help her and take my sister." I couldn't say that I used to hunt.

"Can you give us more details?" he asked delicately and that made me realize that probably my careful way of hiding my emotions weren't working so good.

"I'm sorry, these aren't the most happy memories I have." I said gazing my feet.

"Oh, no. We are sorry, miss Everdeen. We only want to know you, so tell us about something happier. Tell us about who will miss you while you're gone." how was that _any_ happier?

"My little sister, Primrose; and my mother. Maybe a high school friend, Madge."

"I can't believe that a girl as fabulous as you, have just these few people caring for you! You are hiding something from us, don't do it! Is there a boyfriend?"

I cleaned by throat before speaking because bloody hell I need to get out of there. That 10 minutes were disturbing endless.

"I had someone." I said in a little voice.

Gale was going to hate me.

"Aha!" Caesar made showing that he wanted me to say more.

"I met him when I was 12 and he was 14. We became colleagues, then friends and consequently close friends. There's only one year since we started really dating." I felt dead inside while I exposed my life.

"That's so interesting!" he said "We're used to have tributes that don't knew each other before, but it's the first time we have a tribute that is already dating someone else!" he seemed genuinely interested and I didn't understand why Haymitch haven't told us that. "Who asked who?"

"He asked me."

Silence.

Yes, he wanted me to say more, like was. Damn it.

"Actually he spent a little time wanting to convince me. I wasn't really looking forward a relationship."

"Do you mind if I ask you why?" Of course I do, bastard.

"I had already too many responsibilities."

"And what about the romance, my dear Katniss?" Oh please! I'm not your dear and I was frankly starting to panic. "Tell us how much do you like him."

How much? How much? I loved him somehow, not exactly the way he wanted and I wished to love him more, to love him enough. However, I had a sexy dream with Peeta Mellark and although it wasn't exactly cheating, that made me feel _so_ bad. What do I say? Oh…yes…the truth. The freaking truth.

"I can't survive without him." the crowd went crazy with that. And I finally noticed that maybe I have found a way of don't being a bitch for the whole country. Ok, maybe not a whore, but yet a bitch. 'Cause, maybe, we could fake a love triangle. Everybody does like love triangles, right?

"And what have he said when he told you goodbye before you leaving to the Capitol?"

"He said that he loved me." they were freaking out right now "And…he broke up with me."

Caesar seemed shocked but then the alarm finally buzzed.

"Sorry, we're out of time, but I'm going to see you again soon, Katniss." he said while I was walking out of the stage.

I couldn't believe I have really talked _that fucking much _about myself. Fuck fuck fuck. I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself. Haymitch was looking at me with a blank expression so I couldn't infer if he approved or not. Peeta gave me a quick glance because it was now his turn. I tried to not over-think, I tried to focus on Peeta's interview, but after some sort of joke involving the Capitol's showers and roses' fragrance, I lost myself in thoughts and fears. I could only tell by the sonorous laughs I've heard that Peeta knew how to handle the public way better than me. And how he wouldn't? Since he was all about smiles and friendliness? I wanted to pay attention and discover more about him without having to actually talk to him, but it took me several minutes until I finally could do it. His interview was nearing its end.

"Is there a girl waiting for you back home? We already know that there's someone waiting for Katniss." Caesar Flickerman asked.

Peeta hesitated a little and then shook his head no.

"Handsome lad like you. There must be someone, at least, someone special. Come on, tell us!"

"Well, there's this girl." Peeta sighed sadly "I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember and maybe before I can too. But I'm pretty sure she haven't even noticed that I exist until the Reaping."

Sounds of sympathy came from the crowd. Everybody loves a love triangle, but they love even more a platonic love, because with a platonic love, everybody could relate.

"Has she another fellow?" Caesar asked.

"Oh, she had. But he broke up with her after the Reaping."

"Humm…And how is this girl?"

That I already knew.

"Well, she is very imperfect, somewhat moody, irritatingly closed." exactly the same words. Not all of them, yet the same.

The crowd laughed.

"Oh my!" made Caesar "Is that why the other guy broke up with her?" he smiled.

"Nah," Peeta sounded "this is just what most of people sees about her. But she's a lot more than this and…" he made a pause and seemed to be daydreaming about something "when she sings even the birds stop to listen."

"Wow, pretty romantic. But I still think the other guy did better in breaking up." he teased.

"Actually, I know the reason that made him break up." Peeta said in a low voice.

"Really?" asked Caesar raising one eyebrow "Then say it, man!"

I was actually able to feel the excitement and curiosity irradiating from the audience.

"He broke up because…because… she was reaped too." and then he blushed hard "She is here with me."

Wait a minut…

* * *

_Yes, this chapter is shorter, but I like to end a chapter its scenes feels like ending and not when its size feels like ending hahaha I'm sorry for those who like long chapters better, though._

_And...Ohhh! I'm so happy that my number of followers is increasing! That it even stimulated me to post a new chapter sooner than I had planned. Anyway, it's good be inspired and animated._

_Although, I can't help but say that I would really love you if you could tell me something about whether are you liking or not._

_However, the most important is that there's someone reading and that make me joyful for now hahaha_

_The story is just beginning and this is the reason why I'm kind of following the first book plot, but it will be changed soon._

_See you!_


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